Suspenders and the like



9 1934- J. R. LA VlGNE SUSPENDERS AND THE LIKE Filed .April 27, 1955" Patented Aug. 2'], 1934 UNITED Jerome R. La Vigne, -Waterbury,

Conn., assignor to Waterbury Buckle Company, Waterbury,

Conn., a corporation Application April 2'7, 1933, Serial No. 668,190

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in suspenders and other garment-supporters and has for one of its objects the provision, at a low cost for manufacture, of reliable and convenient means for permitting relative compensating movement between the supporter parts, as may be required to conform tothe figure or posture of the wearer, or

as may be required to accommodate various shapes of garments.

Other objects and advantages will appear to those skilled in the art'from the following, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and the appended claims.

The present invention is characterized by providing a sheet-metal suspension-head having spaced-apart walls between which is positioned and supported a ball (one or more) to provide a superior bearing for the mid-portion of the endloop of the suspender or the like, as will more fully appear from the following, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a broken front view of one of the main straps of a suspender, showing the end-loop supported in a suspension-head constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a rear face view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a broken vertical sectional view taken 30 on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 but on a larger scale;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 but on a larger scale;

Fig. 6 is aplan view of the blank from which the suspension-head is formed;

Fig. '7 is a broken face view showing a modified form of suspension-head; and

Fig. 8 is an edge view thereof.

The particular embodiment of the present invention herein chosen for illustration in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive includes a sheet-metal suspensionhead generally designated by the numeral 10 and comprising front and rear wall-portions 11 and 12 spaced apart and connected at their lower ends by integral webs 13-13 and interlocked at their upper ends by providing the front wall-portion 11 with ears 14-14 which extend rearwardly through complementary notches 15-15 in the wall-portion 12 and are turned inwardly over the rear face of the latter.

50 J The extreme upper end of the front wallportion 11 is of T-shape to provide wing-portion 16-16 which are bent rearwardly around the respective ends 17-17 of an attaching-cord which is generally designated by the numeral 18 and 55 1 depends from a main strap 19, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Preferably and as shown, the upper edge of the front wall-portion 11 is provided with a pair of complementary prongs 20-20 which are bent rearwardly and penetrate the adjacent ends 17-17 of. the attaching-cord 18 and firmly interlock the same with the suspensionhead 10.

As thus constructed, the suspension-head 10 is provided with a passage or runway 21 through which the central portion of an end-loop 22 extends with capacity for endwise compensating movement, as will hereinafter appear. The said end-loop 22 may be formed of any suitable material and as herein shown, each of its terminals is formed with a button-receiving opening 23.

Both the front and rear wall-portions l1 and 12 of the suspension-head 10 are outwardly struck to provide two pairs of oppositely aligned spherically-contoured sockets 24-24 and 25-25, between each pair of which is mounted a ball 26, each of which is preferably free for turning movement by allowing suitable clearance between the respective sockets of a given pair. The hori-- zontal line which passes through the centers of curvature of any two sockets 24-25, of all the so sockets 24-24 and 25-25, and of both balls 26-26, is the common axis of the sockets, and of the balls.

When positioned in the suspension-head 10 as shown, the end-loop 22 is free for endwise slid- 35' ing movement through the passage or runway 21 and is subjected to a minimum of friction during such movement. f

In Figs. '7 and 8, a modified form of suspension- I head 27 is shown which corresponds substantial- 9o 1y to the suspension-head shownin the preceding figures, save that the runway 21 therethrough is open at its upper end to permit the ready introduction thereinto and removal therefrom of the end-loop 22. In the structure now being described, the attaching-cords 17-17 are clamped to the suspension-head by wings 28-28 forming a feature of the rear wall-portion 12, instead of a feature of the front wall-portion 11, as in the preceding figures.

By providing a suspension-head with spacedapart walls and mounting therebetween one or more balls, I am enabled to provide a rugged, attractive and convenient suspender or the like I having a maximum degree f free compensating movement of its end-loop. Furthermore, when the balls are supported in one or more sockets in either one of the complementary walls of the suspension-head, it is unnecessary to pierce I through the metal in order to provide bearings,

like comprising: front and rear walls spaced from, each other to provide a runway for an end-loop one at least of the said walls being provided with two retaining-sockets; and two balls positioned between the two said walls and bearing in the said retaining-sockets, said retaining-sockets being so arranged that the common axis of said balls is.

transverse to the longitudinal axis of the suspension-head.

2. A suspension-head for suspenders and the like comprising: front and rear walls spaced from each other to provide a runway for an end-loop and each formed with two outwardly-struck sockets aligned with the sockets in the complementary wall and arranged side byiside with their common axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the suspension-head; and two balls positioned between the two said walls and bearing in the respective oppositely aligned retaining-sockets therein.

3. A suspension-head for suspenders and the like comprising: a sheet of material reversely bent upon itself to provide integral front and rear walls spaced from each other to provide therebteween a runway for an end-loop, one at least of the said walls being provided with two retaining-sockets; and two balls positioned between the two said integral walls and bearing in the said retainingsockets, said retaining-sockets being so arranged that the common axis of said balls is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the suspension-head.

4. A suspension-head for suspenders and the like comprising: a sheet of material reversely -bent upon itself to provide integral front and rear walls spaced from each other to provide a runwayfor an end-loop and each formed with two outwardly-struck sockets oppositely aligned with the corresponding sockets in the complementary wall and arranged side by side with their common axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the suspension-head; and two balls positioned between the two said walls and bearing in the respective oppositely aligned retaining-sockets therein.

5. A suspension-head for suspenders and the like comprising: a sheet of material reversely bent upon itself to provide integral front and rear walls spaced from each other to provide an end-loop runway therebetween and integrally connected together at their lower ends and attached together at their upper ends by oppositely-extending, lateral ears integralwith one upper end and bent into direct engagement with the other upper end; a retaining-socket formed in at least one of the said walls; and a ball positioned between the two said integral walls and bearing in the retaining-socket in at least one thereof.

6. A suspension-head for suspenders and the like comprising: a sheet of material reversely bentupon itself to provide integral front and rear walls spaced from each other to provide an end-loop runway therebetween and integrally connected together at their lower ends and attached together at their upper ends by oppositely-extending, lateral ears integral with one upper end andbent into direct embracing engagement with the other upper end, an outwardlystruck retaining-socket formed in each of the said walls and aligned with the complementary socket in the other wall; and a ball positioned between the two said integral walls and bearing in the aligned retaining-sockets therein.-

7. A suspension-head for suspenders and the like comprising: a sheet of material reversely bent upon itself to provide integral front and rear walls spaced from each other to provide an end-loop runway therebetween and integrally connected together; one of said walls having a pair of integral, oppositely-extending, lateral wing-"members designed and adapted to be bent into gripping engagement with an attachingmember; a retaining-socket formed in at least one of the said walls; and a ball positioned between the two said Walls and bearing in the said retaining-socket.

8. A suspension-head for suspenders and the like comprising: a sheet of material reversely bent upon itself to provide integral front and rear walls spaced from each other to provide an endloop runwaytherebetween and integrally connected together at their lower ends and attached together at their upper ends by oppositely-extending,- lateral ears integral with one upper end and bent into direct engagement with the other upper end; one of said walls having a pair of integral, oppositely-extending, lateral wing-menibers designed and adapted to be bent into gripping engagement with an attaching-member.

JEROME R. LA VIGNE. 

